Victoria
by Amydali86
Summary: Inspired by Principal Clemmon's comment at end of season 2, will includes spoilers for all episodes. Lilly K., Duncan's daughter comes back to Neptune to find out more about her mother. read and comment please. I do not own Veronica Mars. I own this story
1. Chapter 1

Victoria Echolls

Setting: Neptune, 2026

Chapter 1

"Hello, this is Veronica," Sheriff Veronica Mars answered the telephone from her office on its first ring.

"Veronica Mars, so nice to talk to you again. We have a problem here at Neptune High."

"Mr. C.? Why are you calling? Is Victoria in trouble?" Asking this of her fifteen year old daughter always gave her a small headache, as she remembered her father finding her hiding in the Principal's closet twenty years ago.

"Remember when you told me, on your graduation day, that I should not keep my passwords taped to my stapler? Well, you were right; as Victoria has broken into my office… actually she used a key. I wonder where she got that from."

"Oops. I forgot to give back the key Wallace gave me last year when I working that case for you. I promise to talk to her about it."

"Actually, you need to come with down here with her father, and discuss this problem, with me and a school counselor. I think you remember her. Gia Goodman?"

"Oh, Christ," Veronica looked around her office, and saw Mac waving at her from the doorway, "It'll have to be at lunch time. Yes, I promise to be there, Mr. Clemmons."

She hung up, and Mac laughed.

"Problems with Victoria?"

"Yes, as usual. She got her rebellious stage from Logan."

"That's not the way I hear it."

"Ha. Everyone loves to talk about my past, but they forget to look at their own. God, Lilly would get such a kick out of her. Anyway, Mac, what are you doing here? Problems with you're new 'get rich' scheme?"

"Nope. In fact, I just bought a new house. Kendall and I have this little competition going over at the Phoenix office."

"Oh. So what's the problem then? You want me to arrest her? I'd enjoy that you know."

"I just love how you hold grudges. Anyway, I'm not here because of my work. I'm here because I got this strange email from a Lilly Kane over in Australia. She wants me to find her mother."

"Oh, Christ. Close the door," Veronica turned to her computer, and opened her secret email program. Typed, _Duncan, Meg's daughter's been emailing Mac about Meg. Didn't tell her about that? _She closed her browser. "Mac, promise me you won't talk about this to anyone. Not Kelly, or Ben. Not even Grace or Lizzie. I thought Duncan told Lilly about Meg years ago. He even emailed me for pictures of Meg and her sisters."

"I know. That's why I came straight to you. I figured you'd know what to do. The email says when she was online, she found a bunch of messages from a Meg Manning on a genealogy website."

"That's impossible. Meg's dead. Meg's parents must be still looking for her and Duncan. Did she say if she left any messages for them?"

"Yes. It says she just wants a quick look, just in case, and she did not want to leave messages in case it was a hoax."

"How'd she know to email you?"

"I asked her that. No response yet. I think she got it from one of your emails. A bigger question is why the Mannings felt they had to post those messages."

"No clue. I just hope that we can find that out before they find Lilly and Duncan." Veronica looked at her watch, "Walk with me to my car, I have meeting with Victoria's principal in ten minutes."

"Ok," They walked to Veronica's Crown Vic. "What did you want to tell me outside of the office?"

"The Mannings abused Grace."

"What? When?"

"Before Meg died. Long before that actually, Duncan and I think. We found out when Lizzie brought us her laptop… remember, we had you take of the files and put them on a flash drive? Anyway, Duncan found some emails from Meg, to a CPS representative, and at first we thought it might have been about one of the kids, Meg babysat for, so I babysat a few of them. Duncan and I broke into the Mannings when they were supposed to be out of the house. We found one of the journals Grace kept, and found a compartment behind Grace's closet. They were locking her in there, while they were gone. The Mannings caught us, and Lamb came, but nothing happened afterward."

"Holy… Wow. How come you never told anyone?"

"No one would have believed us. Especially since we broke in." Veronica opened the car door and turned to sit in the car, "Need a ride?"

"Nope. Still have my old green VW."

"I can see that. Well, keep in touch about the Mannings."

"Absolutely, I'll let you know if I find anything." Mac watched as Veronica started her car and drive out of the parking lot, smiling as she imagined Victoria's expression when her mother walked into the principal's office.

A/N Not an update, I know, but a revising of chapters… so that they have separate pages.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Do not own Veronica Mars, own the characters I made up though.

A/N This chapter is rather long, and talks about Veronica's history with the Kanes, and with the people in Neptune.

Chapter 2

Second: A/N: I forgot to mention who Kelly and Ben were. Kelly is Mac's daughter, who is Victoria's best friend and Ben is her husband. And you know that Grace and Lizzie are Meg's younger sisters. I should mention that Wallace is a teacher and a basketball coach at Neptune High. He was married, but it did not work out, furthermore, he has a daughter named Portia (I know, old fashioned, but I like the name.)

"Victoria Echolls!" Victoria heard her name in that mothering tone. She winced and said, "oops. Mom it's not my fault."

"Explain." Veronica was a lot tougher on Victoria than Keith was or Leanne had ever been on her.

"Eric Casablancas, asked me to get his t-shirt back for him. He offered me one hundred dollars."

"Only one hundred? I would have held out for a better deal. Besides, you don't need the money."

"Actually," Victoria winced again, "I met a new friend online. She's from Australia and-"

"Wait. Australia?"

"Yeah. She said that her dad lived her a long time ago, and that she wanted to come here to visit, but she did not have any money. I said that I would help her get the money and that when she came, she could stay at out house."

"She?" Veronica said a little bit relieved, but still worried.

"Yeah. Lilly Kane."

"Oh, sh-man." Veronica rubbed her suddenly tired eyes, "Hold on." She closed the principal's door, with them in the office, after all Clemmons let her come in first, to get an explanation. "Let me get this straight. You met a girl named Lilly Kane, who lives in Australia with her dad, who used to live here? In Neptune?"

"Yes. And she said she really wanted to see Neptune and she did not want her dad, Duncan, to know, because she said it brings bad memories for him."

"Did she say which bad memories?" Veronica asked, still shaking inside over that fact that Victoria had been corresponding with Meg's (and Duncan's) daughter.

"No," Victoria frowned, "And why are you so interested? Oh, Mom, I can't believe I totally forgot. You grew up here. You probably know Duncan- Kane!" She suddenly realized and hit her head with her hand. "Oh mom, I completely forgot. You showed me the pictures from when you dated him. And you told me about his sister- Lilly." Victoria looked confused, but only for a moment, "Ok, mom, it's your turn. Explain."

"Not now. Certainly, not here. I'll tell you the whole story, but at home. And not in front of your dad. This story still upsets him a lot. Okay, first of all, I'll tell Clemmons that I forgot, and gave you the key for the files, so you could get a file for me. He'll know I'm lying, but what can I do?"

"No, Mom, it'll make you look bad. I'll tell him it's my fault, and that I left the bracelet that Jason gave me, when I was in here earlier working on an article for the Navigator."

"You sure? You might get suspended for being in here without permission."

"It'll be fine mom. I could use the vacation." Victoria said, joking. She went to the door and said, "Mr. Clemmons, I owe you an explanation for coming in here without permission. You see, I dropped the bracelet that Jason gave me," she showed him a pretty silver bracelet with two linked hearts on it, "and I thought it would be easier just to come in here, using Mr. Fennel's key than to ask permission. I'm sorry." Victoria gave him a repentant look.

"All right, Miss Echolls. You may be excused now. Sheriff? Will you stay?" Mr. Clemmons sat back in his leather chair.

"Yes, Mr. Clemmons. Victoria, we'll talk about your punishment at home." Veronica waited until the door was shut, "What's up Mr. C?"

"I need to ask a favor."

CH.2 part 2

"So what did Mr. C. want to talk to you about?" Victoria asked her mother once she got into her mother's Crown Vic. She found it ironic, yet cool, to be named after a car, sort of, even though her whole name was a mixture of family names- Victoria Lynn Echolls; Victoria after her great-grandmother, and Lynn after her grandmother. She didn't mind sharing her name- or part of it, with a car though- especially since her Uncle Eli- or Weevil as most people still call him, even though he was one of her mother's deputies, worked on, and made it the ult- legally of course. It would not do for a Deputy to be associated with anything illegal of course. Victoria waved to one of her school chums and turned back to her question, "Mom, what did Mr. C. ask you?"

" It's a case, Victoria, and I want you to stay out of it," Veronica gripped the steering wheel with both hands so tightly that her hands turned pale.

"Mom-"

"No, Victoria! I didn't see it as clearly when I was a kid, how worried my father was when I poked my nose in his cases. I see now, that all my activities caused my father to go bald so early- as well as turning his hair gray."

"What hair?' Victoria joked, trying to distract her mother.

"New topic. What were you thinking- corresponding with someone you don't know? And why didn't you remember that your parents- me and your dad, might have known Duncan?"

"It slipped my mind? I don't know. I just assumed it was a coincidence. At least, until she told me about her dad. I know, I should have told you, but she made me swear not to tell anyone, and I tried to keep that promise. What's the bfd?"

"Because Lilly Kane was my best friend."

"What?!"

"Duncan's sister was my best friend. Duncan was my boyfriend. Logan was Lilly's boyfriend. It's a long story, honey."

"Mom-"

"Yes, I'll tell you the whole story. It's complicated though. Convoluted even. Okay, I start at the beginning. Logan moved to Neptune when we were twelve, Lilly was thirteen though. She was my best friend even then. She was so different than me. Wild, flamboyant, more experienced in some cases. Nobody was more surprised than I when we became best friends. Lilly made sure people saw her. I hung out at Liily's house often- Duncan and I eventually started dating. It was safe relationship-neither of us were quite ready for sex-"

"Mom, trust me, I do not want to hear about your sex life."

"All right I'll just say we waited a while. Anyway, in my sophomore year, Duncan broke up with me and a few weeks later Lilly was killed." Veronica say Victoria's look of horror and laughed a little bitterly, "yeah, and I saw her body." Veronica told her daughter about how she sided with Keith, and how he was recalled as Sheriff when he accused Jake Kane of covering up something. About how she became an outcast at her school- how people mock and ignored her. "But, I knew something wasn't right either, because my dad had-still has- great instincts and skills. I had my doubts sometimes, but I just stuck by him. What did I have left? Duncan dumped me, my best friend was gone, Logan blamed me- because he wasn't there when Lilly was killed, because they were on an off period. They were not together then, because I told Lilly that I saw him kissing another girl- a girl who was a friend of ours. The other '09ers, they just tolerated me because of Duncan and Lilly." Veronica continued telling her daughter about the case, and how she helped her dad solve it. How she met Wallace, how Meg and Duncan got together. She told her about her rape- about Duncan and his suspicions that they were brother and sister, simply because Celeste told him- "Don't blame him for believing her. She was his mother, and she hated my mother because of the affair between her husband and my mother." She told Victoria about the Aaron/ Lilly sex tapes. "I knew when I saw Aaron's face on that TV screen, that Aaron had killed Lilly, because she had threaten to take them to ACCESS Hollywood. I took them with me, when I should have stayed there, and waited for my dad. Aaron was waiting for me in my car, and I was almost killed-"

"Mom," Victoria was crying, her face revealing her shock.

"Let me finish. I was almost killed that night. I found those videos and Aaron was willing to kill me to make sure those tapes never found there way to the public. Aaron was in my car-waiting, and I forced myself crash that Le Baron- to get away from him. I hid the tapes. He got into the house there somehow and he punched me in the face, knocking me out. When I woke up, I was in a refrigerator-about to be barbequed- all because he needed those tapes back. My dad saved me that night- like I knew he would." Veronica was in tears by now, but she knew this would be the last time she would have to tell it. She told Victoria the rest- about the next year and the bus crash, and the screwed up love life, and about her hopes of a normal life disappearing quickly. She told her about Meg's baby and about helping Duncan to get out of the country from the Mannings. By now Veronica was calm again, her face still wet, but calm. "Duncan still loved me and I still loved him, but I know we'd never see or hear from each other again- or so I thought. I just worked harder in school, and at the detective stuff, and on the bus crash case, and Weevil was the one who discovered that Thumper killed Felix. The Aaron Echolls trial went to crap," Veronica saw Victoria's shocked face, and said "yeah he got off. The tapes were stolen- by Leo and bought by Logan, because he did not want those tapes to get out to the tabloids. Don't blame your father about that. I never did. Logan loved her- even if she didn't always love him. He was protecting her. He was stupid, yeah, but it still isn't completely his fault. There was some "new" evidence fought that implicated Duncan-but I knew it was false and that someone –still don't know who- planted it. I also suspect the Jury and judge were bribed." Victoria opened her mouth to ask something, but at her mother's look decided to wait. "I found out that Cassidy Casablancas had caused the bus crash, and when I confronted him, he blew up the plane with Woody Goodman right in front of me, because I told him that my dad was with the Goodman and that he knew everything. I was distracted so much, because of the overwhelming grief that my dad might have been on that plane. Your father saved me that night and that night Cassidy jumped off the roof in front of me and Logan. I didn't cry for him. I thought he was my friend once, but he was so twisted and he changed so much that he was evil. He violated me, and he was the one who gave me Chlamydia and I thought he killed my father. I wanted him dead, and Logan made sure that it was not at my hands- he did not want me branded a killer. Cassidy's self-hatred led him to suicide. I went home with Logan, and he comforted me. And in the morning, my dad was alive- because Lamb, for once being smart, made sure the he would not be on the same plane as Woody. The same night Cassidy jumped- Aaron Echolls was shot – case still remains unsolved, but I have my suspicions of who did the deed. I felt relief, he was gone and I was safe. And that was that." Veronica took the tissue her daughter offered her, wiped her eyes, and smiled, because this was the last time she would ever have to talk about her past. She could now move on. "Any questions?" willing to answer any now, knowing Victoria deserved the truth.

"Yes. Why did you say you thought you'd never hear from Duncan again?"

"To put it simply, because he would disappear and make a new life, for himself and baby Lilly. I did hear from him about ten years ago though. He wanted pictures of Meg and her sisters for Lilly, and that he wanted to tell her everything- even about me. I guess he did, because we never talked about it since. He emails me once in a while- for news about his mother. He even asked me to talk to her for him, to assure that he was all right. I told him I would, but I lied. I can't do it, not after all she had done to me, to us, to my mother. He knows that Logan and I are married and he knows about you and your brother. He knows I'm sheriff and he thinks it is sooo funny."

"Do you still love him?"

"Yes. He was always my friend, and he was my first love. You don't ever forgot something like that. I know we can't go back to the way it was when Lilly was alive, and I am glad of it, because I realized, when we broke up a second time, that I had another chance with your dad- although I did not act on it at first.

Thank you for telling me the whole story. I know it was hard, but everything that happened to you allows you to be the person you are now. Strong, and compassionate, yet still cynical enough to keep crime levels down in Neptune.

Veronica laughed, and said, "I'll take that as a compliment. Let's go make dinner."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Victoria walked into her tidy room. She shut the door, and walked over to the desk, turning on the computer on her oak desk- the one that her Uncle Wallace made. She looked around at her room. Sturdy furniture. Tons of books. Canopied bed in the corner. The portrait of her friends painted of her group of friends. Kelly, Jason, Portia, Tony and Tanya. Her best friends. She signed onto one of her email accounts- she had three. She saw that she had half a dozen messages from her friends, and three from Lilly Kane. – under the name of Lilly Brown. She opened the first one:

_Victoria,_

_I am so glad you responded so quickly to my message. I don't think you should take the $100, you could get caught. I have some money saved from my allowances, enough for the flight anyway. I'll try to go as soon I as I next hear from you. Are you sure that your mom and dad won't mind if I stay there?_

_Lilly_

Victoria smiled. She opened the next email from Lilly.

_Victoria,_

_How could you not tell me about your mom and my dad knowing each other?_

_Lilly._

"Because I just now found out the whole story, and I thought they just had been acquaintances."

_Victoria,_

_I'm sorry. I freaked out because I saw an email from your mom to my dad in his inbox. I just now read the entire letter. The email is about me investigating about my mom. When my dad first told me I thought it sounded so suspicious that she died so suddenly and I wanted to find out the truth. I went online and discovered some messages from a Meg Manning, and emailed a Cindy Mackenzie, asking for her help. I guess your mom knows her? I have to get to Neptune now. Before my dad sees that message. I put it as read, but it is only a matter of time before he reads it._

_Lilly_

Victoria looked into her drawer- under the false bottom she asked Wallace to add to it. She counted her saved money - $ 400- that she did not put into her bank account.

Should be enough for a plan ticket- maybe. She clicked on compose email, and typed,

_Lilly, _

_I just got home from school and I read all three messages. I have about $400 dollars saved, how much do you have saved- in cash, that you have access to right now? I just found how today about your dad and my mom- as well, as about your mother, and aunt, and my dad. Cindy Mackenzie- small world, Mac is my mom's friend, and my one of my best friends' mom. You can still stay here, but now my mom knows about you and the fact that you want to come to Neptune. As far as I know, Mom has not emailed your dad yet, so if you can leave Australia soon, and get here, your dad can't stop you. He probably can't even come back because of the kidnapping of you. I still think you should come to Neptune, if you can. Delete the email from my mom and catch a plane as soon as you can. The sooner, in fact, the better. I know that sounds clichéd, but it is imperative you get here if you want my help in discovering what happened to your mom. _

_Victoria. _

As soon as she read that her message has been sent, she shut down her computer, and got to her leftover homework- a few more pages of it- mostly math, her least favorite subject. Her cell phone rang; it was Portia- her best girl friend. "Hey, I heard that Clemmons caught you in his office. What happened?"

"Nothing, I was trying to get Eric's shirt for him for the hundred dollars he promised me."

"Did you get it?" 

"Yep. My mom does not know though. I am surprised at what happened after. Can you come over after dinner?"

"Nope. Dad says he wants some quality time. I think it's best to humor him when he wants some daddy/ daughter time."

"Okay, see you in school tomorrow." Victoria hung up the phone. She started to think about what her mother had told her while checking her business email- the one she had Mac set up for her. She worked as a PI on this side- like her mother had, only without Grandpa Keith knowing about it- she had Mac send her any of more urgent ones that she needed solved. Her email was empty- for now, so she shut down her computer.

She went to her closet, and pulled out all of the films starring her grandpa Aaron- she kept them a secret from her father, but now she couldn't even stand the thought of them in her closet. He killed someone his son loved- had even had an affair with her, (not that Lilly was completely blameless- but she should have had her whole life ahead of her), he almost killed another girl his son cared about. **_I never want to see these films again _**she thought. She shoved all the films into a box, took them down to the basement, and put them with the giveaway stuff. She heard her father and brother enter the house through the driveway and ran up the steps to greet them. Veronica yelled from the kitchen, "Hello men of the house," and laughter floated out to them.

"Hey mom, Victoria," Victoria's brother, Bryan, said.

"Hey baby brother," Victoria laughed as Bryan winced- Bryan was only five minutes younger. She said, "I'll be back down in five minutes for dinner" and she ran upstairs to her room. She heard Bryan behind her, and he asked, "So find anything good lately? Eric said you could get his t-shirt for him."

"Great, the whole school must know by now. That boy could never keep his mouth shut."

"So need any help?"

"Wait- you want to learn the family biz? Frigid."

"Sure, why not?"

"Great." She filled him on some of the details about Lilly Kane- Duncan's daughter, "So I need you to ask Mac to trace the website information- who owns it, and who posted those Meg Manning messages. Use you own computer," when he started towards his desk, "and now we'll have to wait until after dinner. When you start it- don't let Mom or Dad catch you."

"Aye, Aye, CAPTAIN SIS."

"Funny- now let's go eat."

AN: Not sure when I will update this story- I am stuck (damn writer's block) and I have school to worry about- so if I am able I'll post the next chapter ASAP- when I write it. Lol.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Great! I looked it up. Rob Thomas owns Veronica Mars. Victoria, Bryan, Portia, and the rest of the next generation, however are my invention- except Lilly, and Jackie's son.

AN: I finally had an idea come to me. Meg's death was never fully resolved for me. I mean yeah, people die like that, but it just seemed way too suspicious for me, and the whole Duncan and Veronica being able to get the baby out of the hospital so easily. So the first part of the chapter takes place that night. At the morgue.

Chapter 4:

Duncan bumped into a metal table and Veronica shushed him. They only had a small window of time; they had to work quickly to get Meg out of there. They would be back for Lilly, but Meg was about to wake up in the cold. Veronica pulled out the outfit she picked out for Meg's new life, and handed Duncan the pen to sign out Meg's body, from the morgue to the funeral home. She pulled out the drawer and got a cup of water for Meg when she woke up. She watched as Meg blinked, and she helped her sit up She handed Meg the water and after she had sipped it, Meg smiled and said, "Did it work?"

"Yes, but we have to hurry," Veronica helped Meg stand up and helped her dress while Duncan turned his back to stand guard. Meg wore a pair of Veronica's old jeans and a pink t shirt. Veronica helped pull her hair back into a pony tail, and Meg met Veronica's eyes pleadingly. Veronica nodded in understanding. "Let's go." They headed to better lit nursery and Meg gazed at her daughter, one of the three babies in the little room.

"She's beautiful, Meg," Veronica said. "Come on, we have start planning if I am going to keep that promise." She led the way past the empty nurses' station and into the stairwell. Meg's legs gave out on the first few steps, and Duncan picked her up, knowing that between the coma and the drug(s), Meg was still too weak to continue. They hastened down the steps, with Veronica leading the way. She stopped them and listened at the first floor entrance. She nodded the all clear signal and made Duncan go first and they walked past the nurse's station- only one nurse occupied it and she had her back turned, talking on the telephone. They went into the garage where Veronica parked Duncan's SUV. Duncan set Meg in the back and helped her fasten the seat belt. Then he and Veronica got into the front and Duncan drove it to the Kane mansion. They went to his old room and Meg was soon settled on the bed, with Veronica sitting next to her and Duncan on the floor. It was time to set the plan into motion.

First thing was to get some dye for Meg's hair and some new ID. They only needed it to get her to another state. She'd be safe from her parents while Veronica and Duncan worked to get the baby out of the country and kept her safe until Veronica could expose the Mannings. Meanwhile Veronica would pull a misdirection and have them looking at the one thing, focusing on the missing baby, and not the missing body of Meg Manning.

**********************************************************************\\

_That was the last time I saw her. With dark brown hair and a bright pink t-shirt, with blue jeans. At the airport, about boarded on plane headed for Montana. I was wearing my work uniform about to put our plan into motion with Kendall in Duncan's shower, in front of Logan. _Veronica thought about that day, and envisioned the elevator from the hotel at the Neptune Grand.

***********************************************************************

(A/N: This scene is from **Donut Run**. I put some of my own interpretation on it (such as the characters thoughts, because in tv we cannot see thoughts, except in voiceovers)

"Hold the elevator please!" Veronica slapped her hand on the partially closed door, saw Logan and almost turned around and ran. She stepped in and watched the shiny metal doors close. She barely acknowledged Logan, and crossing her arms she settled in for the awkward trip up to the penthouse.

"Hi ho."

"What did you say?" Veronica said almost taking offense.

"Oh, your uniform. Hi-ho, it's off to work you go."

She smiled condescendingly, "I guess that makes me Snow White."

"You must be on your way up to see Mopey."

"How's he doing, Sleazy?"

"Wouldn't know, he doesn't come out of his room. Old Italian ladies don't grieve like this," he smirked, "Boy he must have really loved Meg."

"Well, then there's that other thing. You know, he can't see his baby."

"A baby? How'd that happen?" He baited her, but she ignored him this time. They got off the elevator and head straight in the penthouse.

Veronica opened the door into the suite and stood back, gesturing for Logan to precede her into the room. He walked in and past her, and she shut the door. Logan stood in the lounge area, taking off his jacket, as Veronica passed him to go to Duncan's bedroom. "There she goes, the angel of mercy. Time to fake the donut," Logan said, as he fell onto the couch. He turned his head to observe Veronica, who entered Duncan's bedroom, but stood transfixed by the entrance. "Uh oh. Did you catch him waxing his board?"

Veronica stood frozen, looking towards the room's bathroom. The sound of a shower ceases. "What are you doing here?" She said as she took a small step forward.

Kendall emerged from the shower, wrapped only in a towel. She was momentarily nonplussed to see Veronica, but recovered quickly, saying, "I was invited. How 'bout you?" Veronica turned around and stalked out.

************************************************************************

_And once I got that plan put into motion, Duncan and I decided on the perfect time for our fake-up. And then I moped around the house playing my depressing music for Dad. Finally, I was pulled into the police station by Lamb for questioning. But everyone knows all this part of my life. We saved that child's life. At least I will always feel that way even if no one knows it. I still don't know if Meg is making those posts or if it is someone else. _

The phone rang on the desk, "Sheriff Mars," Veronica said, then brightened somewhat at the voice. It was her dad. She explained what was going on with his grandchild and finally told him where Duncan was…..

_____

Victoria stared at her mother incredulously, "You told Grandpa about Duncan's daughter coming?! Why?!"

"He knows about how I helped Duncan kidnap Lilly. About the Mannings and I thought maybe he could help with damage control and maybe get someone to try to trace the online postings from this 'Meg Manning'. Mac would help but she has to work fulltime at Kane Software. So-"

"You had to tell Grandpa," Victoria said, resigned. Keith had told her long ago not to talk to those 'weirdos' online. She sighed, then remembering, "Lilly said that her dad knows too."

"Yes, I told him she could stay with us as long as she wants. I told him she needs answers that he'll never be able to give. She has questions about Meg that can only be answered by her family. So he agreed to let her come here if we'll watch out for her."

"Yes!' Victoria shouted, triumphantly, she did a small two step in the kitchen, nearly dropping the stack of plates she was carrying to the table. She set them on the family dinner table in the kitchen- it was just the family tonight. They only dined at the ostentatious and ornate dining room table that was a wedding present from Dick Casablancas and his amour du jour…. A Lakers' cheerleader then. Now he was with a supermodel that had an IQ lower than Madison Sinclair's. But than Dick always wanted chicks that were young, dumb, and thin.

"So Lilly can have the pool house to herself, and I'll arrange it so that her last name stays secret a little longer. But my case against the Mannings is almost complete. All the information from Lizzie and Grace will add to my case," Veronica said, thinking, _Then Duncan can come back, and so can Meg_. She shook her head, clearing it, and carried the food to the table. "Bryan! Logan! Dinner!"

Her son- so like his father- bounded into the room. His eyes lit up at the sight of the mounds of potatoes and the platter of steak.

"Great Mom!" he sat down as Logan strolled in, hands in his suit pockets. He smiled as the sight of his wife and daughter being so domesticated and sat at the head of the table. They ate, and Victoria carried the dishes to the sink for Bryan to clean up.

"I'm meeting Portia at the library to study for a while," she said, grabbing her denim jacket from the coat rack by the back door.

"Be home by 10, it's a school night," Veronica said, watching as her daughter rolled her eyes and made her escape out the door.

Nowhere near the library.

Portia sat in the new car her father had gotten her for her sixteenth birthday. Okay it wasn't new. He'd gotten the convertible at the junk yard and asked Eli Navarro to fix it up like new, and they had the car painted her favorite color. Kelly green. Still it rocked as a car, because it ran well, and she had the stereo replaced with her own money.

Victoria, whose nondescript dark blue hybrid was at the shop, sat in the passenger seat, with the window opened. Her digital camera was pointed at the Camelot Motel's room sixteen.

"Come on, come on, come on!" she muttered, eying the room with the camera, and glancing at the clock that read 9:30. Finally the cheating married man stepped out of the room with a red head. Victoria took several pictures for her client and shut the camera off. She turned to Portia who started the car and they drove to the Echolls' estate.

It was the same one where Logan grew up, but the house was less showy and Veronica had nowhere near the amount of parties that the Echolls used to throw. Just a family Christmas party with Wallace's family, the Navarros, Grace and Lizzie Manning, Mac and her family, and Lauren Sinclair- who was Mac's real sister. Madison was invited as well, but she always declined. And sometimes the Casablancas joined them. Usually Dick and whatever girl he was dating, and Eric and Dick's stepdaughter, Dylan.

It was semi-sad story- one of the girls Dick dated had actually been a wonderfully intelligent woman. She was a surgeon, and they had gotten married, and then a suicide bomber had come into the hospital where she worked. Most of the patients and a few staff had gotten out, but Dylan's mother was killed. So Dick became her legal guardian and dated bimbos after that.

Anyway, Victoria got out the car with and waved goodbye to Portia, and went inside.

She waved to her parents who were in the family room, and went up stairs to work on her homework.

_____________ _________________

A/N: Next time: Lilly Kane comes to town. Is she like her dad, her mom? Her aunt?


End file.
